Enforce laws on parking for disabled community

Edmund Hinkson, Member of Parliament for St. James North and Director on the Barbados Council for the Disabled, believes that strategies need to be put in place to ensure people do not use parking spots reserved for the disabled.

His comment came following the launch of an awareness project undertaken by the Barbados Council for the Disabled, which took place in the carpark of Massy Supermarket, Warrens, yesterday morning.

The MP suggested looking to other countries for solutions.

“In some other countries, you have situations where the vehicle unlawfully parked in the parking spot reserved for persons with disabilities is towed away, and the state could get some much needed funds, if that were the case, here. We haven’t gone that [route] but that would be one solution to it, along with a security guard monitoring the situation. In some countries of course, the Government subsidises the salary of the security guards who would be on standby to monitor this kind of situation, but we don’t have that here,” he said.

“We have a situation here in Barbados where laws are passed and enacted in Parliament, but not implemented fully or enforced in a way. And this is a concern which have.”

For more solutions on the issue, the parliamentary member suggested hosting a community meeting where people can come together to discuss possible solutions. For now, it is his hope that individuals remain sensitive to the issue at hand and not park unlawfully in parking spots reserved for persons with disabilities.

Another area of concern for Hinkson is the fine of $500, which he believes is too little.

“I think … that the minister who piloted the Bill agreed with me on a radio talk show, that it should probably be $1 000, but no amendment was made on that issue before the Bill was passed in Parliament and this is of concern,” he said.

“We would hope that the general public remains sensitive to this issue.”